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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

My feet hurt...and we're not even in Toronto yet! I spent last night sewing a new table covering for my booth table...so I can access all the stuff I store under the table, printing out rack cards...after photographing some new items this morning....outside...in the wind!

While Monday night is our 'movie night' I spent it in my studio sorting through the last bits and pieces I need to pack, making sure I have the paperwork for access to the loading dock to unload our rental van.....I did shoot into the house for the glass of wine and some popcorn....then back into the studio.

Yesterday I drove to the US...across the border to Clayton NY and the Textile Museum there to pick up a chair and my vest that had been in their Winter Art Show. My old booth chair from Ikea about 15 - 16 years ago is biting the dust and I needed a new director's chair. I found what I was looking for on Ebay (they sell short camp versions of it in Giant Tiger downtown but I need tall!) and they didn't ship to Canada but had free shipping in the US....so I had it sent to Clayton. Some women get gaga over diamonds or a new wardrobe...but me it's a chair. Also it was a lovely day for a drive over the 1000 Islands international bridges. There was no ice and I even saw a small boat tethered to a dock.

When you are in your booth (and so is your husband who is even older than you are) for 10 - 12 hours five days in a row you need a very comfortable place to sit where you are at eye level to chat to visitors and comfortable to restore some energy for the rest of the day. I have people sit in my chair (and they always perch on the edge, so it needs to be strong and tough...this says it takes 300lbs.

It has a pocket for my pens, tape measure, note book etc and a tray at the side!!!! WooWoo! It has a good foot rest...because I always use that to step on to reach things that I hanging high on the wall of my booth.

We had to go get the rental van, then pick up my Dad's mail (he's away too). I'll take my vegetables over to my neighbour today to use up.

I have to pack show food...juice, nuts, apples, get oranges, gum, tums, ginger, Tylenol, vitamins, Band Aids and a ton of other stuff for survival. I remember the days when a friend or colleague would hit me up for an emergency tampon! Thank heaven those days are over!...now I have to remember to pack my eyeglass cleaner!!

I'm taking PAYD now so I must remember to carry my cell phone ALL THE TIME! So I have a lovely little leather pocket from my friend Ron Tidrow of Arrowsmith Leather to keep it and my 'mad money' as my Nana always called it, in.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Well, just one short week to go and I'll be on the road to Toronto for the Spring 2013 One of a Kind Show. It feels kind of fresh for me as I didn't do it last year so have had a break. I think I went down at Christmastime to look but it's been good to take a break.

I'm getting ready what I can, my work is really one of a kind as I don't do production, don't have sewers (or knitters really) and it takes me a minimum of two days to complete a garment.

This blue one is lovely but I'm showing it as a sample because I'm writing a pattern for it and want it to teach from.

Here is a shot of a bunch of felted work hanging in my studio, jackets, vests & scarves. I did a jacket and a vest last week over two days and made them larger in size...but I can tweak them to fit with sewing.

I'm going to put a small one in the fashion show along with a knit jacket....I just haven't decided which yet....maybe it'll be something I manage to make this week!

This is a detail of the pink vest. I loved the colour the dye came out but next time I want to do it deeper. Note to self: buy some more dyes from Cushing. I have lots from G&S but I want some brighter colours than I have already.

I will have to remember to shut down my Etsy shop as I will be taking all the merchandise to the OOAK.

Here is my listing but I had better put up more photos! I took down the ones that were already there....two years old!!

Passionate Artisans - 28 Bath Rd, Kingston

L'Artellier du Village. Point-Claire. QC

About Me

I've been running Carolyn M. Barnett Designs for 36 years this June and don't know how to stop! I love working with wool when felting jackets and Nuno felting scarves! I love creating my knits and felted garments and teaching others and there's so much else to do in the world... I'm now also creating web sites for artisans since I built mine and found it another creative outlet and feeds the techy in me!!! I teach other artisans to use Social Media and to sell online.

KnitKnotes

I have put together a little notebook using images of my work over the past three decades. I hope it will be an inspirational place to take knitting notes, sketch your new ideas, log your stash or whatever.